Nagaland Singing Ambassadors mesmerizes Shillong audience

Dimapur, July 3 (MExN): Conductor & Composer Lipokmar Tzudir being renowned for his unique musical artistry, his name had preceded him even before he reached the Shillong shores with his choir, the ‘Nagaland Singing Ambassadors’.
With much anticipation and abated breath, the people waited for their performance on of June 28, 2011 at the Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong (State Central Library). Lou Majaw the most popular musician from Shillong hosted the show and introduced the choir. Everyone was mesmerized as they started with James Swu’s astounding Naga Choral composition based on a Sumi folk motif. As they belted out one song after the other, they took the audience through mountain tops; down through the forest and the peaceful meadows especially when Tzudir played the wind pipe called the ‘Bamhum’, the soft controlled hum after the thunderous sounds quieted our spirits.
Without any musical instruments except the ‘Bamhum’ or the occasional drum and piano, he and his choir produced music like a full orchestra using only their voices. The popular song ‘Circle of life’ from the musical Lion King was one example where every sound (animal sounds, river gushing, rustling leaves etc.) heard in the original sound track was replicated by using just their voices. It left the audience in awe.
They ended the evening with an amazingly rearranged Hindi song from the film Kismat,  ‘Lakhon hain yahan…’ leaving the older ones with a sense of nostalgia of yester years and the younger ones with great appreciation that a film song could be reproduced so well. There definitely was a smile on every face as we left the hall.
Atola Supong, on behalf of New Women Ministry, Shillong salutes and congratulates Lipokmar Tzudir and the Nagaland Singing Ambassadors for an evening of Music above par, as well as acknowledges NEZCC, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and Department of Art and Culture, Govt. of Meghalaya for facilitating this opportunity for the Shillong Music enthusiasts. “It is imprinted in our memory even after they are long gone. We hope they will revisit
Shillong soon” Supong said.